(CNN) - An immigration judge has ruled two teenage girls, including a Miami high school valedictorian, are to be deported for being in the country illegally.

Daniela Pelaez, 18, and her sister Dayana came to the United States with their parents from Colombia 14 years ago and never left - overstaying their tourist visas.

A Miami immigration judge ruled this week that the two girls must be deported to Colombia, leaving the teenagers in shock.

"Education not deportation!" chanted fellow students Friday during a protest outside the North Miami Senior High School, where Pelaez is valedictorian.

The high school senior has a 6.7 grade point average and is at top of her class out of 823 students, said a school administrator.

"She's a good citizen, besides being a brilliant girl," said North Miami Senior High School administrator Larry Jurrist, who added he can't understand why the judge decided to deport the girls.

Pelaez told CNN anchor Suzanne Malveaux Friday that her family has been battling to stay in the United States legally.

"Colombia is my roots, but this is all I know," said Pelaez, who has applied to continue her studies at several top-tier schools, including Dartmouth College, Duke University and Trinity College.

The teenager wants to study cellular and molecular biology for a career in the medical field.

"What I have worked for since I was 4 years old - to live the American dream. And I feel like I earned it," she said.

The teen was shocked by the judge's ruling since her brother was allowed to become a citizen and is currently serving in the U.S. military. He has toured in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman Nestor Yglesias issued a statement Thursday on the teens' case that read: "Daniela and Dayana Pelaez have reserved the right to appeal an immigration judge's decisions ordering them to return to Colombia. ICE will not take any action against them while they pursue additional legal options."

The federal agency could also decide to take no further action, allowing the girls to remain in the United States.

"Can you imagine that? Literally putting a postage stamp on her forehead and send her packing," Michael Wildes, a professor at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, said about the case.

"This is completely out of character for our country," he told CNN. "I know the courts and the prosecutor will do right by her."

Pelaez said her attorney will appeal the judge's ruling and the teenager hopes she will get the opportunity to stay in the United States so she can decide in April which college to attend.

soundoff(3,081 Responses)

Jorge

Todd, When I lived in Puerto Rico I managed to work in Curazao, the Dominican Republic, Miami and the British Virgin Islands. No one ever complained about my taking their job because they knew that I was very good at what I did and that I contributed to the local economy with my efforts. Before that no one in the University of P.R. complained that I was taking up a seat that belonged to a native-born son, because they knew I had earned it. Here back in the 'states I heard backhanded remarks about my descent by my troublesome first boss who himself belongs to a U.S. minority, been asked why I got the job over locals by my coworkers and have recieved sidelong glances in meetings when I'm introduced using my full name, yet my current bosses, far more up-to-date and efficient than my first one, acknowledge my contribution and my input much more readily than was the case before. You can blame others for the shortcomings in your career all your life and stereotype them all you want, but that will never really help you, because wherever you go, your worth to others will depend solely on YOU.

Jorge. if that is your name. puerto rico. that says much. as for my job. i am in the construction business. i go to jobs and i see many hispanic that are taking my job. the rich dont want to pay to have 5 guys do a job. they would rather pay 15 guys do one job, less pay, no benefits, all pocket cash for them.

now you might have that GED for a college education, but that dont give you a right to say that i am below you, does it? because thats what your making this out to be. your so full of yourself i bet the desk has a place for your head.

The hardships facing legal immigration are daunting, and there should be a blog just on that issue, but this blog focused on a high school senior, who , though she has lived here since she was four years old is facing deportation.

What about the similar issues facing 1000s of LEGAL immigrate children when they turn 21. Case in point is my son.

My family and I have been LEGAL immigrants in the United States for over 16 years. During this time we have diligently maintained our legal immigrant status, following all the governing rules, regulations, and laws. When my son - who is a National Honor Society inductee, varsity letterman in academics and athletics, Y.E.S. volunteer, and Boy Scouts of America Eagle Scout - turned 21 earlier this year he would have had 10 days to leave the United States, and in addition he lost the opportunity to get derivative permanent residency. (My daughter will face the same situation in a couple years.)

To allow my son to complete his college degree in biology, we went through the expense and effort to change him to a student visa. Upon completion of his degree, and the corresponding expiration of his student visa, he will follow the law and reluctantly leave the United States - after living here since he was 5 years old.

I wish there would be reporting on the notable issues and hardships faced and endured by LEGAL immigrants who are pursuing permanent residency to become citizens under the current system, as we are getting lost in the debates over (illegal) immigration. It would be relatively easy for congress and the administration to fix these issues and hardships for legal immigrants, but …

America's strength, and vitality stems from her immigrants contrary, to what some old,sclerotic brains think, and most immigrants work hard, in fact they work a lot harder than many Americans that I work with.
Daniela is obviously a winner, and I'll say it again more power to her, and her family.

I think we have too many Todds. If all the immigrants, both legal,and illegal left the U. S., her economy would come to a halt.
Once again more power to Daniela, and I'll say it again we need more young adults like her.

50 million young adults like her are willing to move here tomorrow, are you willing to pay for their education then give them your job when they graduate? Heck no, you won't even pay for Daniela's education or give her your mob. Hypocrit.

If children are brought in to this country illegally by their parents aren't they crime victims? Shouldn't their parents be prosecuted for that crime while the children victimized receive help? It is an ugly suggestion but if the parents were found guilty of their crime and sentenced and after they have done their time deported, the victims could be naturalized in exchange for helping the prosecution. We are talking about child abuse. It would be fair and legal.

Awarding in state tuition to illegal aliens is fiscally irresponsible and patently unfair.
Push your state representative to make a change. Google this: NUMBERSUSA .
Once you are registered, go to the "action board" to send free faxes to your state representative .
They are all typed up and ready to go, you just need to click your mouse to send.
Illegal aliens are costing us millions each day.

you need help young lady. If you are ever in need of assistance because you fell in the street or got hit by a car it is a gay black man that shows up to help. & I hope you tell him get away from you...

Sue Ellen, for a "Christian", you sound unreasonably racist and full of hate. Please reflect on your statements and think about what Jesus, your loving savior, would say to you in regards to your mean, ignorant words.

"He will answer them, 'I can guarantee this truth: Whatever you failed to do for one of my brothers or sisters, no matter how unimportant [they seemed], you failed to do for me.' Matthew 25:45

@cmp. after you see your job taken by illegals, or if you see illegals getting over on the system, you learn that enough is enough. you immigrants from the last 25 years, amnesty given, welfare drainers, non taxpaying puckers need to get the truck out.

I would rather have my tax dollars go towards her college education than see it frittered away towards cosseting some fool on welfare who pimps around in a Cadillac all day, or towards some born-again backwoods diddler who skims off farm subsidies and hasn't planted a thing in years and keeps a $20,000 bass boat in his barn, or some idiot slacker who drifted through school on a sea of mediocrity, and blames everybody because he can't get his dream job.

Agreed Tom! It makes no difference where an immigrant is from...illegal is illegal. While I feel for this girl and her sister, there are legal manuevers that can be taken, and from the sounds of it, she has an attorney. If deportation does happen, she can return to live with her Mother and extended family that I am sure will welcome her home. I rest the blame solely on the parents in this situation, not the government. Our immigration laws are actually very lax compared to Mexico, Canada and even the Virgin Islands. So I suggest everyone go read those laws and have some appreciation for what our country DOES do.

The girl is not at fault, family came to states to make a better life for them. Just like our forefathers did. Oh how some people for get, system should be made to help people become American citizens faster. She should be able to stay and continue her education, which ever college gets her is blessed. Sad that she is one of the many teens having to deal with this.

You are right and wrong. It isn't her fault. It is her parents fault. They knew that at any minute the whole family could be deported, but stayed here anyways. She should look to them for explanations why her life is being turned upside down.

And if your forefathers came here like mine did, they came LEGALLY! She is here illegally. There is a difference.

It's a shame that puerto ricans are allowed to be here legally. I group wm in with all the other brown folks who come to flood our shores and destroy the virtue of our girls an our families. I pray for your people and the corrupt catholic religion that y'all keep. I hope one day you return to your lands and repent and accept the true path to heaven into you hearts.

You are hilarious. Native Americans are dis-enrolling (deporting) tribal members from their Nations who cannot prove a certain blood quantum, in order to increase the remaining members gambling proceeds!!! In other words, they are doing the same thing the larger US citizen community is doing, and for the same reasons!!

This judge should be applauded! He did hard thing but the correct thing. This girl should be angry with her parents for bringing her into a country that she has no legal bearing to be in. It wasn't her fault but we must not let these illegal children stay in the country. If you do, it's an incentive for every illegal to bring their children here. This was a risk her parents took with her life, she should be bitterly angry for her parents for putting her in this situation.

Schools are closing, classrooms are growing, programs are being dropped for our children, but we still welcome wave after wave of illegals that just make the problems worst. We are losing well over $11 billion a year in education costs alone. Not to mention larger classrooms where teachers have less individual time, lowering the quality of education, and many students who can't even speak English because they only speak the native tongue of their country. Teachers and even social workers are not allowed to ask or investigate to see if students are illegal.

Education is just one area that they cause problems. Hospitals are going broke or charging more because of mothers that can’t pay who have anchor babies. Almost 25% of prison population is either illegal or “nationality unknown”. Most people for illegal immigration say that they cannot receive government benefits, but they do. Benefits meant for American citizens and legal immigrants. Just ask anyone who works in those offices.

The reality of it is that we cannot help them until at least we help ourselves. And they won’t stop coming until we make some hard decisions and choose to help citizens of the United States and our legal immigrants first.

Good job, CNN! I have a very important point to make and your "liberal" censorship will not allow me to post it despite it conforming to all the terms of service. That is how you keep the sheep in line, by not allowing logic and reason to be introduced.

Notice how the anti-American media falls all over themselves with stories like this about law breaking foreigners, but never writes a story about law abiding foreigners like my Chinese girlfriend's daughter, who was a Valedectorian at her High School and was accepted to USC, but the US government will not give her a student visa to enter the USA. Seems the media prefers foreign criminals over law abiding foreigners.

Americans use every little excue to exercise their racism. Imagine if this was an american girl from some hillbilly town in the mid west, that studied in some fancy European University and was about to be deported because they found out she was on an expired visa. US citizen would be raging right now. Fun fact if we're gonna start deporting everyone, might as well start with every white person in USA. Also, mind using the term right? by Definition she is an american...American is anyone born on the american continents. Mind going back to school, inbreds?

Wow, you must live in a cave. If a US girl was about to be deported from Europe over an expired visa no one would care at all, in fact would think she was at fault.. Up in arms? Maybe on your planet. You are the racist.

She might be an "American" because she was born in South America, but generally speaking, when the term "American" is used, it is widely accepted that the person is from the United States. She can call herself American, but she is not a citizen of the United States, she is Colombian and by birth, that is where she belongs until another government welcomes her. Something which we (the United States) did not do.

I am American, and I live over seas, I know both systems. The Americans should be first applauded for their valuing education enough to keep it in the realm of this ruling. However, they need to understand that sending them back will no harm, but actually HELP their own country! They can return educated, and bilingual. Sending them back does not send them to some kind of war torn country. They came here ILLEGALY. Doing that in Europe has been abused and so many people pull the "Oh look, I stayed here over my VISA but I work...or ...I finished school". Ok, who cares! You commited an illegal move to cheat the system. JUST BECAUSE YOUR SMART or good at commiting this crime, gives NO SPECIAL reservation of citien satus. If that was true, imagine how many chineese would invade USA on the basis of smarts LOL Their math skill alone at high school level would put the entire nation in US. The laws are there for a reason. Stupid fat portorican whatever should have taken Law and learned that her place is back at home, not in America. Also, schools are profeting of this. Schools are becoming nothing but pass throughs of illegal children. MY brother had to go to school with nothing but illegal mexicans, they have no idea what US school is about so they do bad and turn to drugs and violence, this pass through gets them benefits. Also, it keeps school numbers up so the STAFF turn a blind eye to illegals and report to the government "We have 10 million students, please dont close this school". So, STAFF abuses the illegals to get money and illegals beneift by staying in the country. Don't believe me? Ask any one leaving by this border. KICK THEM OUT!

look at California. how did they get into the predicament they are in? Look at Florida, how did they get into the predicament they are in? I am not against immigration. I am against freeloaders. As for taxes. Illegals work for cash. Cash. not pay roll deductions for taxes. yes they pay for gas, food, etc. etc. but when working for cash. they pay no taxes.
how many kids are born to illegals everyday in the United States? Who pays that hospital bill? not illegals. She has had a free ride since the age of 4. Something that should be looked at is, did her parents go on welfare, food stamps or any other Government sponsered assistance. Our Education system is so full of kids of illegals that its costing the states more to bring in teachers to deal with this outrage. It is costing the U.S. Citizen. not illegals. You say that your being discriminated against. Well, if you was legal, You wouldn't be.
Illegal immigrants like those in Georiga, Alambama, or Mississippi, work for Cash. if you offed High School kids a decent wage, I am sure you could get kids out there to pick the crops, but because said Farmer is out for his own pocket book, he hires illegals. Who work cheap,
go to an illegal immigrants resident. How many people liive in that house? around here, When you do this, you see 15-25 people in this house. When you go inside the house. you see no furniture. no chairs, they do have a big flat screen tv. but not a whole lot else. you see sleeping bags on the floor. it's dirty. the cars they drive. Big SUVS. so they can migrate some where else.
if you support illegal immigration in this time where the economy is at a standstill and in decline. your wrong. Very few hispanic i have met have good will to the United States. they hang their flag above the United States Flag.
Most teachers won;'t hand out 6.7 grade averages.. so that's a lie. She might be smart. but not smart enough to figure out she's in the United States Illegally.. at least now that shes 18, shes worried about it. Why now? because shes of legal age.
Etc. etc.

Tell that to the mayor of Los Angeles. I ' m sure he got his job using drugs and violence.After all he's a Hispanic.Wow talk about bigots. There would be no drug gangs or much violence if they legalized drugs as Ron Paul advocates. But noooo–see, most people would rather take the chance of having their kid killed by drug gang well armed from profits on illegal drugs than properly educate their kids not too use them.In the meantime legal drugs readily available in the medicine cabinet are killing ten times more people.

If you think that legalizing drugs would make that problem disappear, you are a fool. To legalize drugs would just make it easier to get stoned. It would do nothing to disband the "drug" gangs. They would just take up some other illegal activity.

You see what kind of animal we're dealing with here,the guy most adament about deporting this girl.He just posted that she has a face like a flat tire.That's really classy talk and as I said if she looked like Kim Kardashian guys like him would be offering her a place to stay.This is the kind off discompassionte morons who spread this kind of hateful trash.I am not for illegal immigration but this is a wellmeaning girl who liived her whole life here and her parents committed the crime Let her stay and pay her own way and be a productive contributor to the greatest country in the world.And thats why we are.

A perfectionist! grammar and spelling too I suppose.Thats what we really need in this country.I have a toilet brush for you.Come on over. I'm sure you'do a resl good job.Meanwhiie the Chinese are working at real jobs courtesy of your tax cuts and loopholes to the rich which is the real problem here.

She should not be allowed to attend any college, both public and private, until all citizens and legal immigrates who have applied to attend the college have been accepted. If there are any vacancies still available she whould be allowed to attend, but without any type of assistance to include in-state tution and all scholarship. Additionally, in these tough economic times and with students graduating with high student loans, she can not participate in work-study unitl every student, citizens and legal immigrates, have had an opportunity to avail themseleves to work-study.

The girl has worked hard, no question. We should all be proud of her. If she were not the valedictorian, would this be in the news ? Are she only getting attention because she is smart ? If she were a 'C' student, how might this story be different ?

This has never been such issue.Prosecute the people who hire them, like you know the wealthy who got the tax cuts and were supposed to create jobs for Ammericans.They hire illegals and outsource all good American jobs. If I was wealthy would anyone of you like to come over and clean my toilet?The weathy are stealing trillions while your discussing deporting one decent kid who spent her whole life here because her parents committed a crime.In that case you should all be deported because The Native America Law of 1492 said so.What a waste of time seeing this kind of hateful garbage displayed by descendents of immigrants.Sick people.Whats the matter?No Kardashians to watch today?If she looked like Kim 90 percent of you guys would be offering her a home

Awarding in state tuition to illegal aliens is fiscally irresponsible and patently unfair.
Push your state representative to make a change. Google this: NUMBERSUSA .
Once you are registered, go to the "action board" to send free faxes to your state representative .
They are all typed up and ready to go, you just need to click your mouse to send.

These people are symptomatic of a larger problem. In the past few years I've seen my neighborhood being overrun with these people and blacks and we even have some Muslim neighbors too! I'm worried that my grand kids are going to grow up in a brown America and that these people are dragging my property values down.

She has earned her right to stay and become a US citizen!!! Top of her class wants to go into the medical foeld and help who??? Oh that is right American Citizens!!! She will pay taxes in the medical field once she earns her degree as well!!! Let her stay and become a positive US Citizen. Just vbecause you were born here should not give you the right to sit on your ass and let me support you!!! This young lady is a hard worker that will make something of herself if gioven the opportunity!!! I would much rather my tax dollars go to support someone like this than all the lazy welfare collecting drug addicts taht were born in this country!!! This story breaks my heart because this is the second one that i have heard just like this!!! I teach in California and have a former student just graduate att teh top of her class but because of her imigration status she has to attend Community College beacause she can't qualify for student loans, grants, etc. She can't afford to attend the universities that she had recieved acceptance letters for.

She has earned that right by going through the proper channels, paperwork, and fees like every other Colombian (that is her citizenship)? I think not.

She has received a gift and should consider herself lucky she wasn't forced to leave earlier. It wouldn't be fair to the other Colombian who have been waiting for years to do it right to be displaced by someone because her parents didn't want to follow the rules.

Before she is allowed to come back, she should be forced to pay every penny that was put into her education and well being by the American tax payer.

Ask yourself, what potential immigrant would hesitate to come to America illegally because they might have to pay a fine? It seems to me that the only way to enforce immigration law is to deport people here illegally. I'm not saying our current immigration system is good or bad, but I will say we should enforce it until it changes.

My view is righteous and rooted in my faith. We need to wake up and come to our senses because we live in a sinful land. I found out that my son was gay and I had to end my relationship with him because of the path he chose.

I am going to guess that you are Christian, and as such shouldn't you be accepting and tolerant of your brothers and sisters, including those of different ethnicities (i.e. "blacks")? That view is definitely not rooted in your faith, as you so said.

I am Colombian (currently living in COLOMBIA), I am also a naturalized US Citizen. I strongly believe her parents are to blame for bringing her to a foreign country illegally. They have to take some responsibility, they knew the risks involved. You cant expect any rights from a country you entered illegally. However, I feel sorry for her and wish her the best on her future endevours.

It spells COLOMBIA. Duel citizenship means you can choose to live in both countries, it does not make me any less of an American. I have friends that are born US CItizens living here also. Learn how to write first, attend college and email me later.

@Warren, my great great grandfather and mother came from norway, did all the necessary things to become American Citizens. i am also part Cherokee. that gives me every little bit of right to be against illegals and the importation of immigrants. i just saw how American manufacting is importing workers while so many Americans are out of work.

Ahhh...but where did the Cherokee come from? You are assuming they are indigenous to this land and did not migrate from another place. Perhaps they never did move ...ever? Still, your heritage gives you no right to treat others in such a way. If what you tell me is accurate, then your ancestors came here to improve the lives of their family. In that way, how different, truly, are you than those who do the same today. I do agree that law should be unheld equally, however. But, and I hate to say this, illegal immigrants actually carry the very spirit with whcih our parents came here and we have forgotten. We are creating what man of our parents hoped to have left behind. Isn't that a kick in the pants. :)

not really Warren. Immigration back in 1800s was much different then it is today.. Immigration is ruining the very image of what our forefathers gave to us.
There was no problem finding jobs. There was no problem finding a place to live. There was no need to take advantage of a Government to look for hand outs. Today there is a problem with Immigration. I served in the military, and have served overseas. to hear the people of there talk about the United States, and then to allow them over to this country is not a good idea. illegal immigration has bled our country of resources that only legal citizens should have a hand at.
how many more illegals are in our schools, that our tax dollars are paying for? how many more illegals are taking their money back to where they came from?
20 years ago.. any immigrant wanting to come to the United States was known as a defector. now we allow 1 million immigrants a year to come to the United States and take American Jobs.

You are RIGHT. I just read this AM about a river in Donna, TX which is poisoned and has been for years. The migrant workers who live there are HUNGRYand eat fish from the water even though they are told it's poisoned. I'm sure some of these people are illegal, BUT some of them are citizens and legal immigrants. There is NO MONEY to fix the problem. Why? because The Taxpayers Bank of Socilaist Solutions has funded foreigners, other countries, criminals and whole families who have more children than they can support. America just sent FOOD to N Korea. This is an ABOMINATION when our OWN PEOPLE ARE HUNGRY. These citizens and legal res should be GIVEN FOOD until the problem is fixed and I emailed THE White House about this. It's SCARY to think the followup to this scourge will probably be the complete BANNING of Fishing and patrolling by authorities NOT FIXING THE PROBLEM. This is the Boot in the Butt that becomes fascism. Ideals need to be FUNDED. I fear this is one example of the future of America.

Could someone please tell me what law allows illegals to swear allegiance to our flag and become members of our military force (thus granting automatic amnesty?!) over and above the tens of thousands of our citizens who have been deemed ineligible? Lily-livered liberals...

i agree. to allow illegals into the military today is not a good thing. so her brother should be deported also. we are paying for him to spy on the military just as allowing arabs into the military. 20 years ago this was not a problem. but the way society is today, they should not alllowed to serve for citizenship.

Well Mike, it appears you prefer a lawless nation over a law abiding nation. Then again, I suppose if you get to ick and choose the laws you wish to uphold, we do to. Ths could be real fun. Better get a permit to carry or is that against your religion? :)

Well Mike, it appears you prefer a law-less nation over a law-abiding nation. Then again, I suppose if you get to pick and choose the laws you wish to uphold, we do to. Ths could be real fun. Better get a permit to carry or is that against your religion? :)

I would like to thank CNN for another skin deep investigation. Yes, it is a shame that this brilliant young lady came here illegally, even unwillingly.

CNN paints the picture that this country is all that she has ever known. She is at the summit of her class. Why would we ever want to send her back to a country that she doesn’t even know now?

Dig deeper CNN. What I am certain of is that these two girls (Daniela and her sister) have received 12 years of free education with at least a value of $108,000 EACH, for a minimum of $216,000.

While the rest is speculation, it is most likely a reality.

Has her family received any kind of government aid such as section 8, food stamps, extracurricular school activities, free/reduced lunches?

Has her mother and father had jobs that were not “under the table” and not paying taxes because they couldn’t obtain legal jobs?

Was her family driving a car around without insurance? While it didn’t happen to her, plenty of illegals are involved in accidents that the other driver’s insurance company will not cover.

Was a family member ever sick and used an emergency room as a doctor’s visit? Who paid for this?

Did her father have a criminal record in Colombia? Not likely, but this is another reality. Illegals that already have criminal records wandering around unchecked. Crimes are committed by illegals on U.S. citizens on a daily basis. Why is this tolerated? I could easily come up with a list of people we should ask what they think about illegal immigration. But, we couldn’t ask them because they are victims of murder, and some rapped, by illegals.

The fact is that while here, it is certain that her family has received hundreds of thousands in funds that were meant to help American citizens. And this is just one family. THAT is what CNN doesn’t want you to know.

C N N really doesn't care. This is a knee jerk topic and they need to drum up numbers for advertisers. So, just play along – nothing comes of this except advertising dollars and what we write makes as much dfference as what C N N writes- but it is fun.

Tom, you are using facts in what is for most an emotional arguement. No matter what you say, what facts you produce, they will counter with slurs and name calling. They do not care about what is factual, they only care that they win.. Look at Mr. Mike Jones's post above. He gives us no facts, no reasoning, no logical opinion to try an persuade anyone to his cause. He just calls everyone who disagrees with his point of view a "racist."

The best example of a lawless nation is one in which the alleged perpetraitor is looked at first and then a determination is made if the law should be applied. In other words, if the student was a D- student, does that mean the law should be applied as oppossed to a valedictorian? Should only our laws apply to poor people rather than wealthy, black rather than white, average rather than beautiful or talented? That is what the headline implies and if this is the kind of country we wish to live in, then we can all stop using the word 'fair' because that is not what we want. Once we move away from equal treatment under the law, then everyone of us gives up our right to expect it. Instead we stand behind and support the picking and choosing of which laws will be applied against us and not others because of something other than fairness such as color, religion, neighborhood, ability, etc. There are laws that need changing and removing and that is our responsibility to do as a nation and society. To ignore written law, or worse, apply them against those we disagree, and to allow our leaders to do the same is a nation of lawlessness and that is fine too so long as we ALL practice equally.

I think that it is very strange that this entire article is about Daniela. No mention of her sister that apparently isn't valedictorian material. I guess that the sister doesn't matter since she isn't as gifted. Good job, CNN.

conjugating the verb "to be" into past simple: i was, you were, he/she was, we were, they were...
"Was you born ...?" ouch...it's hard to form an argument if you yourself can't even speak Engilsh correctly...

I only needed to read one line in this article ...
"Daniela Pelaez, 18, and her sister Dayana came to the United States with their parents from Colombia 14 years ago and never left – overstaying their tourist visas."

If you don't want to be deported then don't enter this nation illegally. And if you don't want your kids to have to go through it, don't bring them with you and include you in your illegal activity.

What you people are trying to tell me is if she is that smart then she should never have to obey any law. Smart people are better than a US citizen and should be allowed to do as they please, like stealing her education from the United States taxpayers.

That's right OldTech.
There is only one issue with this situation and all other illegal alien issues .... THEY BROKE THE LAW and never should've been here in the first place. In this case her parents probably thought they found a nice loophole ... enter legally on visas then just stay knowing the government probably wouldn't have the resources (or the guts) to hunt them down and ship them back to Colombia.

Estimated 7 million non-agricultural jobs are held by illegal aliens . (with stolen, or fake ID)
Jobs that could and should go to Americans. Push your state rep to make a change .
Google this: NUMBERSUSA .Once you are registered, go to the "action board" to
send free faxes to your state representative .
They are all typed up and ready to go, you just need to click your mouse to send.
No more illegal aliens in payroll jobs !

First of all.. Bermille.. You don't pay attention. I said, non-agricultural.

Secon of all.. According to the Pew Hispanic Research Center, only 3% of illegal aliens work in agriculture.
The Federal government can issue 300.000 H-2B work visas for that.
But we don't need and want 12 million Illegals here.

i like the Alabama law. to bad so sad for the farmers who employed the illegals,, now let them hire the 15- 18 year olds who should be working the fields like i did when i was that age. making $5 an hour to walk beans and detassle corn.

J.C. That is the most ignorant post that I have seen in awhile. Basically your ancestors were thrown out of Europe or decided to leave for a better life!! That is the same thing the two girls want. Yet your ancestors landed on plymouth rock and raped and killed the native inhabitants, and brought in slaves to do the work. Get a life!!

Melizze,
Spot on! I think the US should look more often towards so many examples you Canadians have to display as success stories. Immigration for one. It is unbelieveable how easier and much more hassle free the Canadian immigration process is in comparison to the US. And then the list should go on to: health care, geopolitics (and playing world's police), reigious tolerance, etc. I have great admiration for your country. I love the US, but really would like that it was a bit more like Canada in several instances.

On Saturday, March 26, 2011, a federal notice published by the Canadian government just
before the election writ said that this stricter requirement would "send a message that
Canada is taking a strong stance against marriage fraud, and immigration fraud in general."

Yes! Send them all to Canada!
That is one of the best ideas I've heard in a while Melizze.
Except that if you want to take the smart ones then you have to take all the dumb ones too. You don't just get to pick and choose. Since you seem to think that Canadians are more humane than Americans I'm sure it would be a perfectly good deal to take ALL illegal aliens in the U.S. into your country.
When do the buses start leaving for your border?

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